Philosophy IHM Seminary

The paradigm below is one example of how this major may be completed. Students may use their elective credits to explore other majors or to enroll in skill-building courses in mathematics, reading, writing and/or study skills. With planning, students may use these credits to complete a minor, enroll in a practicum or internship, or study abroad.

Freshman Year - Fall

**LCT140

First Year Seminar

3

E120

English Composition

3

PH102

Logic

3

TH115

Mystery of Salvation

3

*L101 OR

Intro Latin I

3

L140

Basic Latin I

Credits:

15

Freshman Year - Spring

ID160

Artscore

2

*L102 OR

Intro Latin II

3

L141

Basic Latin II

General Education Content Area

3

General Education Content Area

3

General Education Content Area

3

Credits:

14

Sophomore Year - Fall

LCT225

Perspectives (may be taken spring semester)

3

PH253

History of Ancient Philosophy

4

TH210

Intro to Old Testament

3

General Education Content Area/Oral Communication Requirement

3

General Education Content Area

3-4

Credits:

16-17

Sophomore Year - Spring

PH254

History of Medieval Philosophy

4

PH345

Philosophy of the Person (Area MT/Philosophy Elective)

3

TH220

Intro to New Testament

3

General Education Content Area/Oral Communication Requirement

3

General Education Content Area

3-4

Credits:

16-17

Junior Year - Fall

LCT375

Global Issues (may be taken spring semester)

3

PH355

History of Modern Philosophy

4

PH300

Moral Theory

3

Elective

3

Elective

3

Credits:

16

Junior Year - Spring

PH358

History of 19th & 20th Century Philosophy

4

Philosophy Elective

3

Elective

3

Elective

3

Elective

3

Credits:

16

Senior Year - Fall

PH402

Senior Thesis

1

LCT475

Capstone (may be taken spring semester)

3

PH360

Epistemology (IHM Seminary students)

3

Philosophy Elective

3

Theology Elective

3

Elective

3

Credits:

16

Senior Year - Spring

PH400

Metaphysics

3

PH402

Senior Thesis

2

PH410

The Philosophy of Thomas Aquinas

3

Elective

3

Elective

3

Credits:

14

* Latin is required for IHM Seminary students. One year of Classical or Modern Foreign Language is recommended for all Philosophy majors.

It is the responsibility of the student to complete all major and university requirements. Please refer to the university catalog for additional information regarding this major. Course title and content is subject to change. Not all courses are offered each semester or year. Please consult with your major advisor for the most current information.

**Students enrolled in the Lasallian Honors Program should consult the program director for the appropriate sequence of courses.

This course, the first of four sequential courses in the history of philosophy, is a survey of Greek philosophy from its origins in the thought of Presocratic poets and philosophers to its later development in the dialogues of Plato and writings of Aristotle. Through the close reading of primary sources in their historical context and through a wide variety of other exercises, students gain an appreciation for the major texts, themes and problems that have shaped the Western philosophical tradition. Students also begin to develop a facility with the various tools and terms with which philosophers in the Western tradition have worked.

The course begins with a thorough examination of the foundations of natural law ethics and consequentialist ethics. The instructor links those theories of morality with explicit assumptions regarding human nature. Central texts in the course are Saint Thomas Aquinasﾒ Prima Secundae and John Stewart Millﾒs Utilitarianism.

This course critically examines some of the most influential conceptions of the human person (e.g., the Platonic, the Aristotelian-Thomistic, the Judeo-Christian, the Hobbesian and that of other modern thinkers). It considers such fundamental issues as the existence and nature of the human soul; whether human beings are innately good, innately evil, both or neither; in what sense, if any, human beings are rational; and the nature and basis of human freedom.

In this course, the second of four history of philosophy courses, students study the development of philosophy in the Middle Ages through its contact with Christianity. The goals of this course are to examine the following themes and philosophical problems: the relation of faith and reason, spirituality and philosophy; human knowledge and human freedom; and philosophy as a principle of integration within Medieval culture.

In this course, the third of four history of philosophy courses, students study the major philosophical movements of the early modern period beginning with the rise of inductive natural science. Students then examine rationalism, empiricism, Kantﾒs critical philosophy, and Hegel. The central epistemological theme of the course reflects the modern conviction that before other sciences may be studied with profit, the possibility and modes of human knowledge must be determined.

This course, the fourth of four history of philosophy courses, is an examination of the post-Kantian philosophy focusing on selected major movements of the 19th and 20th centuries, such as idealism, phenomenology, existentialism, and British analytic and ordinary language philosophy. Readings may include Hegel, Kierkegaard, Nietzsche, Husserl, Heidegger, James, Foucault, Wittgenstein, MacIntyre, and John Paul II, among others.

Epistemology is the study of how it is that humans come to know themselves and the world we inhabit. This course is a survey of theories of knowledge that span the western tradition from the Greeks to the present day. Issues raised include the definitions of certainty and truth, the reliability of sense knowledge, the way in which we know ourselves and others, as well as other related issues raised by our authors.

Saint Thomas Aquinas is one of the central figures in the history of Western philosophy. This course is designed to provide the student the opportunity to discover, reflect upon and react critically to Aquinasﾒs life, thought and writings. The themes covered include an investigation of what we can know of God by the use of human reason, the role of human beings and their nature in the order of creation, the manner in which human action, in cooperation with grace, can bring humans to their final end, as well as other issues of metaphysics, psychology and methodology. While this course is designed as an in-depth study of Aquinas, it also serves as a preparation for the future study of Aquinasﾒs theology; accordingly, there is a decided focus on developing a Thomistic vocabulary. This course is designed to be taken in the spring semester of the senior year.

This general education course gives students the opportunity to read a major philosophical work, Platoﾒs Republic, and to discuss issues raised by the text that relate to our world. Such issues include justice, artistic expression and censorship, ethical conduct, the role of women in society, the best form of government, family, work, freedom, and responsibility. The course is for first and second year students who want a serious introduction to philosophy and enjoy rigorous philosophical conversation.

The field exploration provides the student the opportunity to work closely with a professor in the presentation of a course. The student gets experience in basic research and techniques involved in presenting philosophical ideas. The reading and thinking that gradually lead to a basic understanding of the various philosophical positions and to an authentic philosophical insight is one kind of learning experience. An additional learning experience comes about with the responsibility of presenting these ideas to others. The philosophy department, in providing this opportunity, recognizes that communication of ideas is an essential part of doing philosophy.

This course provides a survey of some of the specific issues in health care ethics that are faced today by patients, providers, insurance companies and other constituencies in the health care arena. Such issues include: access ﾗ how are limited resources to be allocated? Informed consent - what information must patients possess in order to make reasonable and informed decisions about their health care? What compensatory obligations do providers have in the realm of informed consent? Funding ﾗ should the quality of health care vary by the means of the payer? Death ﾗ what is death? Also, should a patient have the right to choose the time and means of his or her death? Procedures and technologies ﾗ are all possible procedures and technical interventions morally defensible?

This course provides non-science as well as science majors the opportunity to examine key issues in the sciences in the light of major ethical theories. Among the issues to be examined are: abuses and uses of nuclear energy, behavior control and psychosurgery, chemical wastes and the environment, computerized files of personal information, computerization and depersonalization, experimentation with human subjects and animals, genetic engineering and screening, reproductive techniques, organ transplants, physician-patient relationships, and euthanasia.

The course examines critically the major ethical or moral theories that are at the basis of decision making in the complex area of contemporary behavior we know as ﾓthe business world.ﾔ It is recommended for business majors.

This interdisciplinary course explores the relationship between philosophy of art or aesthetics and developments in art history. The course involves a study of traditional and contemporary theories of art, an examination of selected figures and movements in art history, and an analysis of the vital interrelationship between the two disciplines of philosophy and art.

These courses give non-majors an opportunity to explore philosophical movements, figures, and issues. Specific topics are determined by the department and student interest, and have included American Philosophy, the rise of modern science, 20th century women philosophers, and philosophy of law.

This course is designed to teach the fundamental skills, including, grammar, syntax, and vocabulary recognition necessary for reading Latin. The students read in the original Latin simple sentences and paragraphs of increasing complexity as the skills are developed. Special emphasis will be given to reading and pronunciation of the Latin of the mass and the prayers of the Church.

The course is designed to teach the fundamental skills, including grammar, syntax, and vocabulary recognition, necessary for reading Latin literature. The students read in the original Latin simple sentences and paragraphs of increasing complexity as the skills are developed.

The Christian Bible leads to Christ, the mystery of salvation. This course is divided into four parts corresponding to the Catechism of the Catholic Church: professing our faith, celebrating our faith, living our faith, and praying our faith. The primary sources are Sacred Scripture and the Catechism of the Catholic Church.

Students survey examples from the Pentateuch, Prophetic, Historical and Wisdom texts, their forms, settings and theology. This survey incorporates an appreciation for some basic contemporary interpretive methods. Methods encouraged by Vatican IIﾒs Dogmatic Constitution on Divine Revelation are studied.

Students survey examples of texts from the Pauline, Catholic and Pastoral Epistles, the Gospels and Acts; Hebrews and Revelation are also introduced. Working with the interpretive strategies gained in TH210 Introduction to Old Testament, students begin to assess the dynamics of interpretation through the completion of an exegetical paper.

The Christian Bible inspires faith for billions of persons worldwide and is a best-seller every year. In this course the Bible is studied as a product of God and of people. Students consider how the Bible actually emerged in the lives of Jews and Christians as well as how it sustains Christianity today. Typical areas of study are the Bibleﾒs literary forms, historical contexts, and faithful heroes.

The Christian Bible inspires faith for billions of persons worldwide and is a best-seller every year. In this course the Bible is studied as a means of Godﾒs revelation. Special focus is given to how different denominations vary in their respective use of the book as a source of divine revelation. Also considered is how broad assumptions about the nature of the text shape various theologies and how issues like inspiration, myth and ethics are determined both from and for the reading of the Bible.

The Christian Bible inspires faith for billions of persons worldwide and is a best-seller every year. In this course the Bible is studied as an example of the worldﾒs Scriptures. Comparisons and contrasts are drawn between both the content and the use of Scripture in Jewish, Christian and Muslim denominations. Attention can be given to some of the uses of Scripture in eastern world views, for example, Hinduism and Buddhism.

This course explores the tenets and practices of theology through the study of the interpretations of Christian doctrines noted in the Nicene Creed and select catechetical texts. Issues of method, authority, and the interface of faith with modern culture are highlighted.

Prerequisite: one of the following: TH112, TH113, TH114, or TH115 (may be concurrent).

This course explores the set of Catholic Christian doctrines and interpretation surrounding the question ﾓwhat does it mean to be a human person?ﾔ for example, the creation to the image of God, sin, redemption, sacramentality, and vocation. There is a focus on modern questions of the mind, conscience, embodiment, gender, and sexuality.

This course is an introduction to Catholic theology that explores fundamental doctrines, e.g., the Triune God, the creation of the cosmos and humanity, sin, grace, salvation, sanctification, and sacramental imagination. Students attend to the development of these creedal doctrines building on their biblical understanding of how these doctrines frame the human experience through a coherent system of thought, which addresses the challenges that modernity and post-modernity pose to the Christian world view. Students who have taken TH209 should not take this course.

Through comparison and contrast, students define and articulate how the Christian, especially Roman Catholic, world view relates to those of others. Prior to such comparisons students focus on being able to articulate the basic world view of several mainstream religions: Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism and the religions of the Far East, especially Shinto, Dao and Confucian thought.

This course addresses the demographic reality of an expanding Latina/o presence in the Roman Catholic Church, both worldwide and within the United States. Specifically, topics covered are: the dynamics of Latina/o migration; Jesusﾒ attitudes and behaviors towards the marginalized; Mayan Catholic faith expressions; the U.S. Catholic Churchﾒs response to the Latina/o Catholic presence; and an appreciation of the one baptism that bonds us with our sisters and brothers in faith. This is an in situ, student-centered course. Students are expected to complete the

Prerequisite course work before coming to Guatemala and, while in Guatemala, to actively participate in all course related activities.

Field exploration experiences offer students who are considering a major in the department the opportunity to explore a variety of pastoral and theological ministries in a supervised setting. More limited in scope and time than an internship, field exploration involves mainly observation of ministry and is coordinated through the Career Services & Internships Office. Sophomore status and permission of the department are required. Graded pass/no credit.

Students consider the history, theology, and practice of Christian sacramental life as they address the questions of ritual, celebration, and worship. The course also examines general principles of liturgy and ritual, as well as guidelines for planning and implementing pastorally effective liturgy.

This course acquaints students with the modern history and current application of Catholic social teaching, focusing on the themes of economics and work, life and death, and war and peace issues. Students engage both primary and secondary literature and examine how Christians critically think through social issues. A service learning component is offered.

As the foundational class in moral theology, this course addresses the different moral theologies in the Catholic tradition, from Scriptural ethics to natural law. Contemporary issues are addressed as a means of explicating schools of ethical method and applying moral reasoning.

Defining moments in Catholic tradition from earliest Catholicism up to the First Vatican Council (1869-70) are investigated. Official Catholic teachings, major thinkers and cultural movements are considered for their insights into Christian faith and human development.

After establishing familiarity with the history and texts of the Second Vatican Council (1962-65), students consider theological and pastoral thought from the 20th and 21st centuries. Special attention is paid to ecclesiological innovations concerning lay and clerical leadership, the local and universal Church, and the universal call to holiness and justice.

This writing intensive course studies the development and interpretation of Christian theological doctrine on the person of Jesus of Nazareth, the Christ. The course treats issues from the various interpretations of the Gospel tradition to the development of doctrine (particularly in the councils of Nicaea and Chalcedon) to modern interpretations of the role of Christ in systematic theology.

Theology majors and minors examine both the theological and practical dimensions of the tasks of ministering in different contexts, e.g., youth ministry, parish life, hospital chaplaincy, and campus ministry. The course encourages the development of theological perspectives and pastoral skills necessary for effective ministry in one or more of these settings.

Pastoral and youth ministry majors examine the theological and practical dimensions of youth ministry. Particular attention is given to the specialized issues of ministry to adolescents through an examination of the document ﾓRenewing the Vision: A Framework for Catholic Youth Ministry.ﾔ As a seminar, student leadership in planning and developing the course is assumed.

Majors prepare professional credentials as well as collaborate with a professor to conduct research within an area of their interest and the professorﾒs expertise. Preparation of credentials may include development of a personal mission statement, resume, and certifications relevant to national standards for Catholic lay ecclesial ministry. Research approximates graduate-level study of classical and contemporary perspectives that are doctrinal, academic, and/ or pastoral.

Pastoral and youth ministry majors and religious education majors test their aspirations and apply their knowledge in professional and pastoral contexts. Students and the departmentﾒs internship coordinator facilitate placement, planning, and assessment through the universityﾒs internship office. The internship usually involves a weekly group theological reflection. This internship is also coded as high school teaching for religious education majors. This course requires the completion of a professional portfolio and is graded pass/no credit.